May 8, 2023: By The Mercy Of God

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." (Romans 12:1, ESV)

The Apostle Paul, with his father's heart, encourages the Romans to present their bodies to God because of His mercy. Paul explains this great mercy in Chapters 1-11. Now he calls for a response or action to what they have heard. Therefore, give yourself wholeheartedly to God in light of what you have experienced in Christ. 

Because of His great mercy, we are to approach God and place our lives before Him at His disposal. Because of His mercy, we can trust Him as we offer ourselves to Him. When we do this, we are bringing together the inner working of His Spirit and the external manifesting of His presence into one. This is not an option for the believer but a desired response of one who has experienced God's saving grace. This takes our lives beyond the Sunday service to living out our faith before others all week long.

Paul says this is our spiritual worship! Becoming what God called us to be in Christ is the greatest thing we could offer back to Him. We can never repay God for what He has done for us through His Son. But we can offer back to God our whole lives in response to His love and mercy. Yes! Because of His mercies, I will live for Him!